Importance of iconography

Iconography is a type art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of he content of images: certain subjects, the particular compostions and details used to do this, and other elements that are distinct from artistic style. It can be said to be a representation or a group of represetations of a person, place, or thing, as a portrait or a collection of portraits.

Iconography is important because it makes an artist's music recogniseable. If the artists iconography is failing their image will be relaunched. Without i their brand will be cohesive.

An example of this is Rihanna at the begging of her carrer her image has change throughout time.

 This was Rihanna first studio album, the font type is very girly and fun and she is shown very natural. This album shows her young personality and how they're trying to present her as an artist. The next album 'Girl Like Me' is showing that Rihanna is more adult but she is still very natural and earthy, at this point in career Rihanna was not very well know so she wasn't as commercialised. Her 'Good Girl Gone Bad' album was where she first started to change her image, becoming more edgey, this when he career started to peak, this album included the multi award winning song 'Umbrella'. Her next album 'Rated R' was very dark and her image was completely revamped with a new edgy short hair cut, this album came after her violent and very public relationship with singer Chris Brown. Rihanna again change her look with bright red hair when she collaborated with Eminem on 'Love the way you lie' this song featured a couple that were violently abusive towards each other  Rihanna's 'LOUD' album was where she then was seen as sex icon. This is her history in FHM's 100 sexiest Woman: 2007 #55, 2008 #11, 2009 #43, 2010 #43, 2011 #3, 2012 #3, 2013 #2. As you can see from the time of Rihanna's 'LOUD' album in late 2010 her image as a 'sexy woman' has gone up dramatically this due to her changing her image, this was Rihanna's most controversial album with 'S&M' being banned from being viewed on you tube and television. Rihanna's next album was 'talk that talk', this album she collaborated with artists such as Calvin Harris  this album featured some chart topping dance songs. Her latest album has seen another change for Rihanna, this album seems alot more mature than previous and the first song she released was 'Diamonds' this was a very new sound for Rihanna but again made it high in the charts, this album shows Rihannas confidence within herself now as a person and artist and latest single 'Pour It Up' is again very controversial, shows that Rihanna has established herself as an artist that pushes boundaries.